Underfeed furnace.



&

4 SHEETS-SH EEIT 3.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

R. S. RILEY. U NDE RFEED FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 19.11.

R. S. RILEY.

UNDERFEED FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.20. 1911.

Patented Nov. 16, 191 5.

4 SHEETS$HEET 4.

law ntar nirnn earns tear uricnonnnr SANFORD RILEY, or raovinnivcn; RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR To SANFORD RILEY STOKER co. 1.131)., or woncnsrnn, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

unnnrtrnnn FURNACE.

Patented-Nov. 118, 1915.

Application filed October 20, 1911. Serial No. 655,823.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT SANFORD RILEY, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of Providence, in the county of- Providence and State of'Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underfeed Furnaces, (Case (3,) of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to furnaces and automatic mechanism for supplying fuel thereto on the underfeed principle, and has for its purpose primarily to effect a positive feed of fuel and refuse to the part of the furnace whence the refuse is discharged; to automatically break up lumps of fuel and refuse, and make the fuel bed homogeneous; and simultaneously and automatically re-.

\ move deposits of clinker or slag from the bfurnace walls, as explained in applications filed concurrently herewith, numbered 655,821 and 655,822 respectively.

, More particularly, the object of the specific embodiments of my invention described and claimed herein (in which theseembodiments are distinguished from those described in the companion applications referred to) is to provide, in a construction in which the floors of the retort or retorts "supporting the fuel within the furnace are stationary, air-supplying bounding walls for such retorts movable oppositely to one another to effect the purposes above set forth. That is,the air-supplying means constituting one side of any retort is distinct from the corresponding means constituting the other side of the retort, and is moved simultaneously with and in directions opposite to the movements of Such other means. With this construction, where two or more retorts occur in a furnace, the entire air supplying means between adjacent retorts, forming in eifect a common wall for both retorts, is a unit and moves as such, while the parting line or division between retorts occurs in the retort itself instead of between the walls of two retorts.

Another feature covered in the present application consists in a provision bywhich refuse may be continuously discharged from the furnace as fast as it accumulates.

In the drawings forming a part of this application: Figure 1 represents a longitue dinal section of a furnace in which the special features above noted are embodied. Fig. l is an enlarged elevation of a detail ofthe operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a part of such furnace, showing two of the retorts thereof. Fig. 3 is a part front elevation and part vertical cross section of the retorts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cross section being taken on line 83 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the air-supplying boundary between two retorts, on line A-A of F ig. 1. F ig. 4 is a rear elevation of one of the retorts. Fig. 5 is a detail View in side elevation of an adjusting means for governing the rate of discharge of the refuse. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l, 'of another form of the invention embodying thesame principles, taken on line 66 of F g. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same. F 1g. 8 is a longitudinal section ofone ofthe air-supplying means forming a side of a retort or a parting wall between two retorts on line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is in part a front elevation and in part a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 6, of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the furnace, showing mechanism for moving the. air-supplying retort walls.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive,

the furnace is shown as consisting of sta-' fed when first being introduced into the fire and in which it is distilled before the solid combustible portion is ignited. The walls of the retort are formed by air boxes or conduits which are sufliciently separated to leave fuel channels between them. The conduits rest upon an air trunk 3 which crosses the furnace, and they have downwardly-extending substantially vertical walls bearing upon the upper side of the air trunk. Those conduits which are placed in the furnace next to the side walls have their outer boundaries formed by vertical plates or walls, as indicated at 4: in Fig. 8. The interior boundary of each of the conduits consists of a wall 5 which is in a vertical plane from the top of the air trunk to a line wb shown in Fig. 1, and to the front end of the conduit. Above the line ab is a wall 6 which flares outward and upward and forms one sideof the retort. When two such conduits are placed in proper position in the furnace, their corresponding Walls 5 lie in.contact,. as shown in Fig. 3, and their walls 6 define a trough. The adjacent conduits continue in contact from the line a?; to their extreme lower and inner ends. Forward of the point 6' they are separated and the bottom or floor of the retort is constituted by a plate 7 which fits closely between the walls .6. Such plate is secured to the lower wall of a tubular member 8 which I term a fuel conduit because fuel is fed therefrom into the retort. The air conduit between two adjacentretorts is formed as shown in Fig. 3, having approximately twice the width of the conduit shown at'the right of Fig. 3 andbeing without the vertical side wall 4. At the ends of the upright walls which rest on the air trunk are end walls which inclose a box communicating with the interior of the conduit and overlying an opening 9 in the air trunk (Fig. 3). These inclosing walls are adapted to slide across the top of the air trunk, whereby the conduit is enabled to move bodily back and forth in a substantially horizontal line.

The tops of they walls which form the sides of each air-conduit are unconnected,

or, in other words, the upper side of the conduit is open. Such opening resembles a longitudinal slotc Uver the longitudinal opening are placed boxes 10 which permit escape of from the conduit in such a manner as to ale most effectively the fuel, and may be termed .L boxes open i he bottom and rear directions,

The fuel conduit 8, previously mentioned, is mounted upon a bracket 13 secured to the air trunk and projecting forwardly therefrom. It has an opening 14: in its top wall over which is placed ahopper 15. Apusher or plunger 16 is adapted to reciprocate in the tube and across the opening 14, thereby alternately allowing fuel to fall through the opening and pushing such fuel into the furnace. The plane of the floor plate 7, and of the bottom wall of the tube 8, which is a continuation of such floor plate, is below the line of outlets from the boxes or nozzles 10. Consequently the fuel when it first enters the retort through the fuel conduit is below the points at which air is fed to the furnace and below the burning fuel bed. It is gradually pushed rearwardly and upwardly across the air inlets into the zone of combustion by the combined action of the feeding pusher l6 and the movement of the walls.

Movement is imparted to the air conduits and outlet boxes by anysuitable means, such, for instance, as a shaft-17 on which are cranks or eccentrics 18, 19, acting upon eccentric rods 20, 21, which are connected to adjacent conduits. These eccentrics are positioned oppositely to one another on the shaft, hence cause the conduits which form the opposite walls of the same retort to be moved simultaneously in relatively opposite The pusher l6 also corbeing actutly driven the shaft ash .l 1 o nicn meshes l incense tinguish these boxes from the boxes 10, I maycall them bars. The bars carried by ad .jacent conduits meet at the center line of the retorts and are adapted to support the fuel which issues from the rear end of the retort.- These bars are open-at the rear and are provided with lips extending rearwardly from their top walls wherebyto form slits,

rearwardly directed, between adjacent bars. The bottoms are open only where they overlie the longitudinal slots of the respective conduits whereonthey are supported, and.

tort, whence the fuel overflows the retort sides and rests on the tops of the flanking outlet boxes. When the conduits with their supported boxes move rearwardly they carry the fuel resting upon them and bearing against their side walls toward the rear. On their return movement toward the front of the furnace the fuel is prevented from following by reason of the resistance of the fuel continually entering through the feed tube 8, and of the sloping floor 7 Such of the fuel as lies over the tops of the outlet boxes is left unsupported and drops directly downward upon the lower boxes. In this way a constant step-by-step rearward feed of the fuel in the retorts is accomplished. As the conduits which form the opposite sides of the same retort move at once oppositely to one another, the fuel is kept in continuous agitation at the same time that it is advanced, and thereby is broken up and the particles distributed about in such a way as to fill holes in the fire and form a fuel bed of even thickness and homogeneous characand independent from the units constituting the other walls of these retorts and movable simultaneously with and cv ositely to such units. The retort itself is thereby divided into three parts, to wit, a stationary bottom and independent and oppositely moving walls. The division between the oppositely moving parts in rear of the retort proper IS the combustible is consumed.

on the central vertical plane of the retort, such plane being represented by the line ccZ in Fig. 2.

After being fed out from the retort mouth and carried over the bars 26 in rear of the retort, the refuse falls upon a dumping plate 28 pivoted by a rockshaft 29 held in. brackets 30 projecting from the rear side of the air trunk. The conduits carry refuse pushers 31 to force the ash and other incombustible residue of feed along the dumping plate toward the bridge wall. The pivotal axis of the dumping plate is near the refuse pusher, so that the swinging edge of the plate is the part most remote from the' pusher. By tilting the plate about its axis, the refuse accumulated thereon may be'dis charged into an ash pit.

It is part of my invention to arrange for an automatic, continuous and gradual discharge of the ash from the dumping plate to avoid the necessity of periodical attention and possibility of' more or less loss of unburned fuel with the ash. Accordingly, I have provided an opening above and at the rear of the dumping plate between the same and the bridge wall and directly in rear of the pushers 31. The latter, reciprocating, push the refuse in small quantities through the opening into the ash pit. By the time the refuse reaches this point practically all The area of the opening is varied in accordance with the quantity of ash to bedisposed of, by adjustment of the dumping plate about the axis of the rock shaft 29, such adjustment being made by a controlling lever 34 connected to the plate by an arm 32 fixed to the I rock shaft. and an intermediate link 33; 5}.

and the adjustments are maintained by a stop adapted to be engaged 'by the lever. which stop may be set in any one of a series of holes 36 in an are 35, concentric with the pivot of the lever, The same control lever also serves to tilt the plate so as to discharge they are arranged.

39 represents the eccentric strap, which is provided with a socket 40 receiving one end of the eccentric rod. The socket may move telescopically upon the end of the eccentric rod to an extent limited by the length of the slot all in the socket through which a pin 42 carried by the rod projects.

43 represents blocks or shims which may be placed in the socket across the slot between the pin 42 and either end of the s lot ll, thus limiting the effective length 6f=the slot and diminishing the extent of lost motion. According as the lost motion is great" or small, the conduits are given a less or a greater amount of travel. In this way the 'rate offeed and the rate of disposal of 7 to 10. In the latter figures the conduits forming the sides of the retorts aremounted to oscillate about a horizontal axis. The conduits are located on each side of a plate 4:4 constituting the bottom or floor of a rei tween the pairs of walls tort, and the conduit between two adjacent retorts forms a Common air-supplying means for said retorts and the common side walls thereof. 4 One of the conduits, designated as, is shown in longitudinal section in Fig.

8. It has vertical side walls and a bottom,

but is open at the forward end and the top. The side walls at the forward end are recessed so asto fit the circularly formed walls 46 which are secured upon the upper side of the air trunk 3 and are upright and the planes of the conduit walls, @penings t? are left in the top of the air trunk beacross from the walls of each pair ar 48 which confine the air, causig from the trunk into the conduit re with the webs es form, in which are cylindrical segn'ients both into the air trunk nd ll duits. adapted to slide on the walls each conduit is movable as a tively about the center of cur nieeting edges of such walls.

On the upper edges the cone and bri ging the pace between an outlet blocks similar in our construction to those already 6 this specification and also des companion applications hereinheitore re ferred to. The series of boxes 1C tends entirely to the rear end ofthe conduit The floor ll is below the mouth of the retort which is defined by the blocks 0, and extends in a direction intersecting mouth. forward end is in e tension with the fuel feedingtube or send 5O towhicl'i it is coni'iected and its rear end; overlaps the rock-shaft.

latively. r

Suitable mechanism is provided foros'cillating the conduits, which is conveniently a rock-shaft 53 having arms 54, 55, connected by links 56, 57, with the several conduits respectively. The rock-shaft 53 may be driven from a main driving shaft 58 by a crank 59 (see FigylO through a connecting stationary, while the conduits with the outlet boxes carried thereby areimovable oscilrod 60, and an arm 61 secured upon the The engagement between the rod 60 and arms 61 is effected through pins 62, 68, carried by the rod on opposite sides of the arm and adapted to be placed in different positions in holes 64 in the rod. The different settings of the pins permit more or less lost motion to occur between the rod and arm whereby the amount of motion given to the conduits and the rate of feed of the fuel may be varied.

In the tube 50 is a pusher 65 which travels under an opening 66 in the upper side of the tube and propels fuel delivered through this opening from a hopper 67 into the forward end of the retort. The pusher isprovided with an extension 68 lying upon the floor of the retort andhaving shoulders 69, 70, to assistin propelling the fuel after the samehas entered the retort. The pusher and its extension and shoulders feed the green fuel into the retort below the openings from which the conveyed through the con duits is discharged, and thence out of the mouth of the retort into the bed of burning fuel whicr J tends over the outlet b0; as fuel i introduced into the furnace principle. r-Lfter issuing 1 the retort, further feed complished positive f he retort walls,

it motion,

or ost verticall t they more tion keeps the fu. up and continua i e rear, where ash. upon a dumpi g plate 71 is dis- "rein the latter intothe ash. f

2L5: charged F i" f 1 v i he ruel which reina c .1, ,L'lv 2 r, J... i, or tne leto t i091 is led iiom the rear e of the latter or boxes 51, where i; is supplied 'i'vith a i; floor of the retort impervious is air, and while tile ruel on this floor it s b low the line of i, lugs l is not 1 rated. By the C in the vertical zone reaches the inner end of the floor it has become converted into coke, free of volatile combustible, and is then carried over the boxe 51 of which the tops form a grated said invention anddescribed a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all the forms in which it may be made or all the modes .of its use, what I claim is:

1. In a furnace a fuel burning retort,hav-' ing a :fuel inlet at one end and extending therefrom toward a refuse discharge point, said, retort being formed in part of side walls, each of which isindependent of the other and is mounted with capability for movement as a whole independently of the other, meansfor feeding fuel into the retort through the inlet thereof, and means for moving said walls to propel the fuel and,

.refuse in the furnace-toward such discharge oint.

p 2. In a furnace, air conduits forming the sides of a fuel burning retort and having outlets, each conduit being independent of the other and mounted with capability of movement independently as a unit, and driving mechanism for moving said conduits.

In a furnace, a plurality of fuel burning retorts comprising upright side walls and floors independent of such side walls, the partition 'walls between adjacent re torts being movable as a unit, and mechanism for moving such partition walls alter nately in. opposite directions.

In a furnace having outer air conduits forming the outer boundaries of a plurality of fuel retorts, an intermediate air conduit dividing one retort from the adjacent one, forming the inner side walls of both retorts and being movably mounted, and mechanism for moving said intermediate conduit.

Ina, furnace, outer walls forming the outer boundaries of a plurality of fuel burning retorts, an intermediate dividing wall unit, between two adjacent retorts, mounted for movement independently of said outer walls, and means for so moving said intermediate 'all unit, whereby to feed and disintegrate the fuel in the retorts.

6. In a furnace having a plurality of fuel burning retorts, an air conduit so arranged that its sides form the dividing walls of two adjacent retorts, said conduit having outlets for discharge of airinto the furnace and being mounted with capability of independent movement as a unit, and mechanism for so" moving said conduit.

7. In a furnace, a fuel burning retort-haw ing its sidewalls independent of each other and relatively movable, and mechanism for moving said retort side wallsback and forth.

, 8. Ina furnace, a fuel burning retort having a stationary bottom and having side walls mounted with provision for movement,

said side walls being independent of each other and each mounted with capability for independent movement as a whole and means formovingsaid walls to feed and break the fuel.

9. A furnace including inits construction air conduits having substantially up right side walls and plates between said conduits, the plates forming floors of fuel burning retorts and the conduit walls forming the sides thereof, each of said conduits having air discharge outlets above the plates, and said conduits being mounted with capability of movement independently of each other. i

10. In a furnace having a plurality of fuel retort s, and an air-conducting structureforming a partition dividing adjacent retorts from one another, means for feedingfuel into said retorts, and means for moving the entire air-carrying wall as a.

unit to propel the fuel in the retorts.

111 In a furnace a plurality of separated uprightairconducting walls, between which is a space forming a fuel retort, said walls at the opposite sides of the retort being movable bodily and capable of movement inde pendently of each other, and means for moving each of said walls: as a whole so as to effect a feed of fuel and refuse from the retort.

12. In a furnace having a fuel inlet and having also provisions for discharge of refuse at a point distant from such inlet, a plurality of separated upright air-conducting walls, between which is a space forming a fuel retort, subh walls being so placed that said fuel inlet opens into the retort, and the upper boundaries of the walls having a downward slope from the inlet toward the discharge point of the furnace, said walls at the opposite sides of the retort being movable bodily and capable of movement independently of each other, and means for moving each of said walls as a whole so as to effect a feed offuel and refuse from the v retort.

13. In a furnace, the combination of separated air-supplying means having outlets at their upper-portions and providing a fuel passage between them, means for supplying fuel to said passage, refuse support in rear of and below said air-supplying means, refuse discharging means constructed and rear arranged to propel refuse across and from said support, and means for varying the extentof movement of ,saidrefuse discharging means to vary the rate of discharge,

said refuse support being adjustable so as to alter the capacity of the discharge outlet ing meansto vary "the rate of discharge,

andmeans for soplacing and holding said support as enlargejor restrict the dis charge outlet according to the rate of dis-- charge. j 5

15. f; selffeeding furnace, comprising separated walls forming the sides of a fuel-' feeding passage and having outlets for emission of air at or near their upper limits, said Walls being movably mounted, means for feeding fuel into ,said passage-below said outlets, mechanism for moving the Walls longitudinally vof the passage to feed the fuel, a support arranged in rear of the passage to receive theincombustible residue of the fuel, and pushing means connected With sa'id Walls and movable therewith across said support to discharge the refuse therefrom, said support being adjustable ,tovarythe capacity for discharge of the residue.

16. A self-feeding furnace, comprising separated Walls forming the sides of a fuel-'- feeding passage and having air outlets arranged to discharge air acrossthe passage, said walls being: movably mounted, means for feeding fuel into the passage, mechanism for moving the Walls longitudinally of the passage to feed vthe fuel and refuse, the

furnace having a refuse-discharging space at the rear of such passage, a refuse support arranged to bridge such space, and pushing means operated by said fvalls to feed tlierefuse of the fuel across said support, the sup port being adjustable so as to cover more or less of such space, and thereby control the effective size of such space according to the rate of discharge of the refuse.

- 17. A. A self-feeding furnace, comprising separated alls forming the sides of a fuelfeeding passage, said Walls being movably mounted, mechanism for moving the Walls longitudinally of the passage to feed the fuel and refuse, a rearfurnace Wall in rear 10f the passage and separated by aspace therefroin, ';a refuse support extending to some extent across such space, pushing means operatedby the fuel-feeding Walls to feed refuse "across said support and into and air-supplying means, a p

said space, means for varying the extent of'- movement of said pushing means, and means i for adjusting the support to vary the effective opening to the space, according rate of refuse discharge. a

18. A r self-feeding furnace, comprising to the I separated Walls forming the sides of a fuel- I feeding passage, and having air outlets arranged to direct air across such passage,

said walls being movably mounted, means for placing fuel in one end" of the passagebelow said outlets, mechanism; for moving the Wallslongitudinally of the passage to feed the fuel and-refuse, t plate arranged in rear of said passage to receive fuel fed therefroimpushing means connect with the. fuei-feedins walls andmoved thereby across the plate, and means for place ii and maintaining the plate at an incline tion downward and rearward from said pushing means.

in a, furnace, fu'elsupporting surand air supplying means, a plate pivoted on a horizdntai axis adjacent to the discharge end of said fuel-supporting surfaces ada 'ited to receive matter discharged therefrom, means for holding said plate at larly about its axis, a vall 'loc'atedinear the swinging edge of the plate arranged to providean opening above such swingingiedge,

and a shutter pivotally mounted at the top ofsuch opening in rear of the termination of the plate so as to cross the opening, and means yieldingly impelling the shutter tovWard-the-plate.

20, in a furnace, fuel suppprting surfaces ate pivoted on a horizontal axis adjacent to the discharge end of said fuel-supporting surfaces adapted to receive matter discharged therefrom, a

Wall located near the swinging edge of the plate arrangedto 'provideian opening above such swinging edge, adjusting means for placing and holding said platelin a variety a of positipns/angulariyabout its axis, and a shutterpivotally mounted at the top of ,such' opening in rear of the plate so as to cross the opening, and a Weight connected to the. shutter in a manner such as to forceiit yieldingly tow'ardthe plate and normally I the-rear end hold it at an inclination toward of the plate. 3

.21. In a furnace, fuel burning retort ineluding in its, construction a stationary bot tom and movable sides, said sides being movaole independently of-one another H1 a for- Ward and rearward direction for feeding fuel, and having provisions for escape of air to support combustion of the fuel, and mechanism for so moving the said Walls.

22. In a furnace, a fuel burning retort including in its construction astationary bot? tom and movable sides, said sides being movahle independently of one another in-a fen r the refuse of any one of a number of adjustments anguward and rearward direction forfeedin g fuel, and having provisions forescape of air to support combustion of the fuel,-and

movable therefrom over said depository,

means for moving said air-supplying means and pusher back and forth over said depository, said means being adjustable to vary the extent of movement of said pusher, and means for adjusting said depository to vary the quantity of refuse which can remain thereon. I

24:. In a furnace, a fuel burning passage composed of a stationary bottom and walls rising above such bottom at each side thereof, said walls being constructed and arranged to having air outlets and being mov able in opposite directions, and the oppo- "site walls of the retort being separate from each other and separately movable, and means for moving saidwalls back and forth and distributethe fuel.

25. In a furnace, a plurality of retorts arranged side by side and having bounding walls, the walls between the adjacent retorts being connected together in a unit structure and being movable as a unit, said walls being constructed and arranged to confine air under pressure and having outlets for aerating the burning fuel. in the furnace,-

and means for moving the wall structure be tween the retorts back and forth to feed and distribute fuel.

'26. In a furnace, a plurality of fuel burning retorts arranged side by side, said re- .torts'having bounding walls, the walls between theretorts being formed into a single air conduit having a longitudinal opening at its upper side, and discharge members or nozzles mounted over the open side of said conduit and constructed to direct air across the retorts at both sides thereof.

27. In a furnace, a plurality of fuel burning retorts arranged side by side and having side walls, the walls at the adjacent sides of adjacent retorts being separated to provide anair space and beingconnected to f' v gether to move as aunit, air emitting means carried by the said adjacent walls, and

means for moving said walls. back and forth to feed and distribute the fuel.

28. In a furnace, a fuel burning retort constructed to cause preliminary distillation of fuel before ignition, means for feeding fuel into one end of said. retort beneath the'ignited fuel, a depository arranged at the rear of said retort to receive the residue of the fuel issuing from the retort, pushing means arranged to travel over said support .to displace refuse across the same, means for adjusting the extent of movement of said pushing means relatively to the movement of the fuel feeding means, and means for adjusting said support so as to govern the discharge capacity of the furnace in accordance with the rate of accumulation of refuse.

29. In a furnace having a fuel burning retort with aerating means arranged for preliminary distillation before ignition of the fuel, means for feeding fuel into one end of the retort, a refuse depository. mounted adjacent the opposite end of the retort to receive the incombustible residue of fuel issuing depository for displacing fuel across the same, adjustable driving means for giving a regulated extent of movement to said pushing means in accordance with the rate of accumulation of the refuse, and means for adjusting said depository to vary the capacity for discharge of refuse in accordance with the rate of disposal thereof by said pushing means;

30. In a furnace retort, a means for propelling fuel through the same, a plate for-receiving refuse pivoted at the rear of the retort on a horizontal pivot, means for propelling refuse across the retort, a rear wall near the free edge of therefrom, pushing means movable over said having a fuel burning said plate formed and located to provide an opening between itself and the plate,

means for tilting and holding said plate so as to vary the effective area of such opening, and a swinging shutter mounted to'extend across said opening and yieldingly held toward said plate in a manner permitting its displacement by the advancing refuse.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT SANFORD RILEY. Witnesses: v ARTHUR H. BRowN, P. W. Pnzznrrr. 

